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Woman killed after striking horse in St. Croix County roadway

The driver of this car, 53-year-old Diane G. Johnson, was killed Friday after it struck a horse in the middle of a St. Croix County roadway. Photo courtesy of St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office

A Hammond woman and a horse were killed Friday morning after the animal was struck in the middle of a St. Croix County road.

The St. Croix County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as 53-year-old Diane G. Johnson, the driver of a 2009 Chevy Impala.

According to a news release, deputies responded at 6:42 a.m. Oct. 12 to County Road T near County Road Z in the town of Pleasant Valley — about three miles south of Hammond — for a single-vehicle crash. Preliminary investigation found the brown horse was in the middle of the road when Johnson collided with it.

Mike Longaecker is the regional public safety reporter for RiverTown Multimedia. His coverage area spans St. Croix and Pierce counties. Longaecker served from 2011-2015 as editor of the Woodbury Bulletin. A University of Wisconsin-River Falls graduate, Longaecker previously reported for the Red Wing Republican Eagle and for the Forum Communications Minnesota Capitol Bureau. You can follow him on Twitter at @Longaecker